


Racing the Sun

by realmSpinner



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-07-02 22:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15806124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realmSpinner/pseuds/realmSpinner
Summary: “You always go around touching other peoples' shit?”He really didn't.  But Yamaguchi was out of commission, the Stupid Duo was challenging him, and this stupid (maybe a little fun) scavenger hunt list required it.Tsukishima was sure the list didn't require him to find Kuroo Tetsurou, but he did anyway.





	1. Start

**Author's Note:**

> The start of another multi-chap!

Tsukishima would never admit to being startled when his lunch was suddenly interrupted by the loud smack of someone slamming a piece of paper onto the dining room table. Disinterest was a perfected art. On the other side of the table, Yamaguchi, who had never been very good at hiding his emotions, physically jumped in his seat, a fry flying out from between his fingers.

“Have you guys seen this?!” Hinata exclaimed, a big smile on his face as he enthusiastically patted the paper he'd slammed down. Kageyama was right behind him, looking smug, and Yamaguchi visibly sagged his shoulders when he realized they weren't being attacked.

“You're supposed to be in class,” Tsukishima drawled, narrowing his eyes from behind his glasses. It was a Wednesday, and this was supposed to be a quiet, normal lunch with Yamaguchi. Tsukishima had said thanks to the heavens when he found out his Monday, Wednesday, and Friday lunches would be free of the Stupid Duo, thanks to their class schedules. Therefore, he was more interested in an explanation rather than whatever paper was beneath Hinata's tapping fingers.

“Canceled,” Kageyama replied swiftly, making a fist in the air to show his enthusiasm on the subject.

“So have you seen it!?” Hinata asked again, louder, this time, bouncing on the heels of his feet.

“We can't see it if your hand is on it,” Yamaguchi said with a raised eyebrow. Tsukishima snorted, watching Hinata send him a glare before removing his hand. On top of the paper in bold ink, it read 'Freshmen Scavenger Hunt'. Tsukishima had never heard of it, nor was he at all interested, so he pointedly turned back to his food. Yamaguchi reached for the paper. “Oh, I read about this on the dorm bulletin board.”

“It's going to be awesome!” Hinata exclaimed, practically vibrating from his excitement. Tsukishima glanced around, growing less and less thrilled by the stares they were getting from other patrons. Attention was not something Tsukishima enjoyed. “We get a full twelve hours to accomplish everything on the list! And whoever wins gets one hundred dollars and the title of 'Freshman King of the Campus', so we're obviously going to beat you!”

It was very Hinata to appear more excited over a title than cash. It was also very Hinata to rush to idiotic conclusions.

“I think you've miscalculated something,” Tsukishima replied with an entirely fake smile. “You can't beat someone who is not participating.”

“What?!” Hinata exclaimed, already offended. Kageyama's eyebrows furrowed.

“But it's a freshman scavenger hunt,” Kageyama said matter-of-factly.

“Yes?” Tsukishima offered. Kageyama's eyes squinted.

“You're a freshman,” Kageyama continued.

“Brilliant. I can see how you got into college,” Tsukishima drawled. Kageyama continued to give him that stupid pinched look.

“... Tsukki, this actually looks fun,” Yamaguchi chimed in. He was giving Tsukishima a shy little smile from the other side of the table and Tsukishima felt unease sink into his very bones. Purposefully avoiding that look, he turned back to his food.

“It'll be super fun!” Hinata practically yelled. Tsukishima quietly sighed at the volume, feeling the stares of strangers bearing down on him. His plate was still half full, but that would not stop him from making a quick exit if necessary. “But _some_ people are just not fun!”

Tsukishima ate another bite without comment.

“Tsukki can be fun,” Yamaguchi commented with a laugh. Tsukishima tossed him an unimpressed look as Hinata huffed.

“He'd be fun if he wasn't _scared_ ,” Hinata taunted. It was such a rudimentary statement. Tsukishima found himself rising to the bait, anyway.

“I'm not scared,” Tsukishima denied, absolutely despising the evil grin on Hinata's face. “I'm just not interested in a child's game.”

Kageyama grabbed the paper from Yamaguchi's hands and held it up, pointing a finger at the '18+' on the corner of the paper. Hinata was doing a terrible job at holding back a snicker.

“Scaaared,” Hinata continued to taunt. “If the scavenger hunt requires a picture with a chicken, I'll be sure to come find you-”

Tsukishima snatched one of Yamaguchi's fries and launched it at Hinata's face. To his delight, it hit the shorter boy right between the eyes. Hinata squawked, grabbing a fry himself and drawing his arm back in retaliation. Thankfully, Yamaguchi laid a hand on Hinata's coiled arm.

“Okay, I don't want to get kicked out, and I kinda don't want you two to take all my fries, either,” Yamaguchi stated. Hinata continued to glare Tsukishima down as he popped the fry into his mouth instead. However, the glare melted as he chewed.

“Hey, these are really good! What'd you do to the fries?” Hinata asked, all attention on Yamaguchi now.

“Oh.. they have garlic seasoning stuff up there,” Yamaguchi replied, gesturing to the spice bar. Hinata was suddenly all smiles again, tugging at Kageyama's arm with chatter of eating lunch. The duo left almost as swiftly as they'd come, leaving the flier sitting on the table. Tsukishima made a show of rubbing his forehead.

“Are you almost done? Because I'm afraid they'll try to join us after they get their food,” Tsukishima drawled. Yamaguchi snickered.

“Yeah, we can leave,” Yamaguchi agreed. He gathered his napkins and salt packets, placing them on his tray, and also snatched the flier before standing. “I do think this will be fun, though.”

“No,” Tsukishima said, following Yamaguchi over to the conveyor belt that would take their dishes away.

“Early birthday present?” Yamaguchi asked, bringing his hands together in front of his face as if he were praying, the stupid flier still between them. Tsukishima scowled.

“No,” Tsukishima repeated.

\---

Really, he cared too much about Yamaguchi. What were friends, anyway? Who needed them? Certainly not Tsukishima, especially when they managed to drag him into these stupid, stupid things. 

He was seconds away from smacking that smug look off of Hinata's face. 

They stood in the crowded courtyard of their college campus. A big banner hung across several registration tables had large, bold letters, reading, 'Freshman Scavenger Hunt'. Yamaguchi and he had already been through the lines and had received an envelope which they couldn't open until precisely seven o'clock, when the competition would begin. He'd had to sit through an explanation of the rules, stating photo evidence of everything on the list had to be presented by seven the next morning for it to count, and the people hosting the event were not liable for anyone choosing to participate. That had concerned Tsukishima, just a little. What kinds of things would be on this scavenger hunt list?

Tsukishima turned his narrowed eyes to Hinata again. The shorter boy promptly and very maturely pulled at his skin, revealing the redness under his eye, and stuck his tongue out. Tsukishima flipped him off, but his attention was stolen by Yamaguchi coughing next to him. 

“You sure you're okay?” Tsukishima sighed, eyeing the way Yamaguchi rubbed at his throat critically. The other boy had been feeling off starting that morning, complaining about a headache and a cough that had gradually gotten worse. Tsukishima was pretty sure he was getting sick. Being as stubborn as Yamaguchi was, however, the brunette had still managed to drag him here.

“I'm not one hundred percent,” Yamaguchi admitted with a sheepish smile. “But I still want to do this.”

“Let me feel your forehead,” Tsukishima said, lifting a hand. Yamaguchi took two giant steps back before Tsukishima's hand drew high enough.

“No. You're trying to get out of this and I won't let you,” Yamaguchi said.

“I'm just trying to make sure you don't die because you're stubborn and have a competitive streak,” Tsukishima answered. Yamaguchi shot him a look.

“Who's the competitive one?” Yamaguchi asked, glancing over at where Hinata and Kageyama stood. “Heck, on that note, who's the stubborn one?”

“You, you little shit,” Tsukishima said, a smile tugging at the corner's of his lips. “Though, I guess it would be nice to see those two get demolished.”

Yamaguchi cast him a knowing look, and for a while, Tsukishima was able to forget about his worry for the freckled boy. He looked around the crowds as they waited, staying to the sides as best as he could. Still, he managed to catch conversations about how this scavenger hunt was a huge tradition. He even overheard someone say it was the very reason someone had chosen to attend college here, which made Tsukishima scoff. What a stupid reason.

When seven o'clock arrived, a very loud and annoying buzzer went off, making Tsukishima cringe. At his side, Yamaguchi seemed unbothered, quickly opening their envelope and fishing out the list of items they would need to get pictures of in order to win.

~~~~  
A chinese take-out menu.  
Wash Me on a car window.  
A zebra-striped item.  
Roadkill.  
Stacked traffic cones.  
An unconventional dessert.  
A pair of ballet shoes.  
A dog wearing a shirt with the college logo.  
A cow.  
A squirrel.  
A yellow umbrella.  
A sale sign at a store.  
Graffiti on a wall.  
A license plate with a full word on it.  
You and another person lying in the road.  
You and another person sitting in a tree.  
You and another person kissing beneath mistletoe.  
You and another person sitting in a fountain.  
You and another person sitting next to the fiction section in the campus library.  
You and another person climbing a fence.  
You and at least three other people, each holding a single balloon.  
You and at least three other people, sharing a soda, each with their own straw.  
You and as many people as possible who can fit on a park bench.  
You on a motorcycle.  
You throwing a coin into a fountain.  
You with a policeman.  
You inside of a police car.  
You wearing a silver necklace.  
You drinking from a water fountain.  
You posing with a mannequin.  
You standing in a full bathtub wearing a swimsuit.  
You piggy-backing a stranger.  
You wearing a leather jacket.  
You on a boat.  
You in a reflection that is not a mirror.  
You on a full bus.  
You getting an old man's 'autograph' on a baseball.  
You making a duck face while holding an item with a duck on it.  
Another person in a costume.  
Another person in a shopping cart.  
Another person pouring a pink alcoholic beverage.  
Another person holding a Happy Birthday banner.  
Another person kissing a dog on the nose.  
Another person mattress surfing.  
Another person sitting on a dumpster with a cat.  
Another person who is 85-years-old or more (holding their driver's license).  
Another person with three flowers in their hair.  
Another person balancing on one foot on a ledge.  
A human pyramid of six people, all wearing different colored shirts.  
~~~~

Tsukishima read over Yamaguchi's shoulder. Some of them seemed very easy, while others verged on impossible. He guessed that was the challenge.

“The parking lot is close to here. We can get the 'wash me' window done,” Yamaguchi suggested with a smile. 

“Lead the way,” Tsukishima answered. By the looks of the crowds, many other people had the same idea, and by the time they got to the parking lot, there were already several cars with 'wash me' on the windows. The fact so many of the windows were dirty made Tsukishima smirk. Leave it to college kids.

They also managed to finish a license plate with a full word on it in the parking lot, and Yamaguchi checked that on off the list, too. He went into a coughing fit immediately afterward, and Tsukishima furrowed his brows, but Yamaguchi waved him off with a teary smile. 

If Yamaguchi noticed Tsukishima was walking a little closer to him than usual, he said nothing.

“Let's get the 'you and another person lying in the road' one done,” Yamaguchi suggested.

“Wonder if we'd get extra points if we combine that one with the roadkill,” Tsukishima snorted.

“Gross, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughed.

Tsukishima didn't want to admit it, but the whole scavenger hunt thing was kind of... fun. He felt a sense of accomplishment to check things off the list, even if some of the items made him wary. It was just ridiculous enough to keep him entertained, and seeing Yamaguchi so excited helped, too. However, when Yamaguchi mentioned they were close to the campus fountain, Tsukishima's excitement dimmed. Sure, they were close, but the paper said they would have to sit in the fountain. That meant they'd be wet for the rest of the night. And Yamaguchi was...

Making sure Yamaguchi was focused elsewhere, Tsukishima quickly brought the back of his hand to Yamaguchi's forehead before he could spring away. His hand burned. When Yamaguchi did jump back, it was with a guilt-ridden expression.

“Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima sighed. “You're burning up. You need to go home and rest.”

“But,” Yamaguchi protested, even though his shoulders slumped, resigned. “I really wanted to do this.”

“You can't do it when you're sick. You'll end up getting worse, and then I'll have to drag your unconscious self back home,” Tsukishima reprimanded. Yamaguchi deflated even more. “Tell me honestly, how you feel right now.”

“... not very well,” Yamaguchi admitted. Tsukishima placed a hand on his back and pushed him forward.

“We'll send you back to the dorms on a bus,” Tsukishima said, guiding them to the nearest bus stop. Yamaguchi went without protest.

“Just me?” Yamaguchi asked. Tsukishima took a deep breath, feeling like we was going to regret his next words.

“Yeah. I might walk around... see if I can find some roadkill. Maybe stop by a store to find some of the items on this list,” Tsukishima explained, taking the list from Yamaguchi's hands. “Having only four or five things checked off would be pretty pathetic.”

Yamaguchi smiled.

“You don't have to,” Yamaguchi said. “But thank you.”

Not much else was said after that. They only had to wait at the bus stop for five minutes before one pulled up to the curb. To their surprise, it was packed full of passengers, laughing and rowdy, many carrying the scavenger hunt list. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi glanced at each other, and decided to take a picture of them both on the crowded bus, to mark off one more thing on the list, before Tsukishima bid Yamaguchi good-bye, and found himself standing at the bus stop. Several people had gotten off the bus in small groups, chattering happily as they made their way to find new things.

Tsukishima headed toward the local store, true to his word. He knew he wouldn't be able to accomplish everything on the list, especially alone, but he'd get a few more easy things for Yamaguchi's sake.

It was after the sun disappeared under the horizon and the street lights flickered to life that Tsukishima slowed his walk. He was only two blocks away from the store, but a motorcycle, parallel parked outside of an apartment complex, caught his eye. He glanced down at the list.

~~~~  
You on a motorcycle.  
~~~~

He stopped and looked around. There was no one outside, as far as he could see. A car passed by, and Tsukishima watched it until the taillights disappeared around a corner.

After a moment's more hesitation, Tsukishima walked across the street to where the motorcycle was still. Sure, the proper thing to do would be to ask, but what was the harm in sitting on it really quickly, just long enough to take a picture, and then move on to the store?

He placed a hand on the handlebar. Tsukishima had never actually been on a motorcycle. This one was jet black and shiny, a far cry from all those dirty cars in the campus parking lot. While he didn't know much about vehicles in general, Tsukishima thought this one looked pretty cool, and definitely taken care of.

With a soft grunt, he hefted his leg over and sat on the seat. Opening the camera on his phone, he held it up high, angling it so both himself and the motorcycle could be seen. His thumb pressed down on the screen.

“Hey.”

The word was loud and sharp, seeming to echo down the quiet street. It raced down Tsukishima's spine and made him freeze in place, his guilty conscience realizing he'd been caught. Lowering the phone, he whipped his head upward.

A brilliant red spark was floating in the air. It took Tsukishima a second to realize it was the end of a lit cigarette, held by a figure almost completely covered in the shadows. That figure moved, leaning over the balcony railing and into the dull yellow glow of the street lights.

“You always go around touching other peoples' shit?”

It was a man. Even though he'd stepped into the light, it was still difficult to see him clearly, but Tsukishima could make out a shock of messy hair and the defined muscles of the arm holding that cigarette. Given the man's words, Tsukishima was pretty sure the motorcycle he sat on was his. 

Well, shit.

Tsukishima carefully swung a leg over and got off the bike, mildly afraid the man would jump down from the balcony and deck him. It was an irrational thought; jumping from that height would be quite a feat, and while the words were fairly harsh, they weren't exactly hostile. But maybe this guy was one of those quiet ones... the ones who appeared innocent and attacked at the last moment.

Maybe the darkness, combined with his solitary state, was getting to him and he was just overreacting. He was in college, now. There was no room for being afraid of the dark.

How could he properly explain this, though, other than telling the truth? He could just run away. He had long legs; he was fairly certain he could be long gone by the time the guy had the chance to run back into the building, down the stairs, and out onto the street.

Something about that option didn't sit right. And he hated running.

“Sorry,” Tsukishima started with, fiddling with the phone still in his hands. He closed the camera app and looked up again, watching the smoke from the burning edge of the cigarette rise into the air and disappear into the night. “I was trying to get a picture for a scavenger hunt... thing.” Wow, didn't that sound stupid. “I'll be leaving now.”

He took one step back, about to spin around and do that very thing.

“Wait, the Freshman Scavenger Hunt? That's tonight?!” 

Tsukishima's eyebrows rose, watching the man's demeanor completely transform. He was now slumped down, gripping the railing and pushing himself further over the bars. All notions of him being intimidating flew away with the wind when he did a little jump, turning to put his cigarette out (from what Tsukishima could guess), and then Tsukishima found a finger pointed down at him.

“You! Stay right there!”

The man moved, the sound of a sliding door cutting through the night, and then he was gone.

Wariness grew again. Tsukishima eyed the front door to the apartment complex with trepidation, his muscles screaming to move, to leave. Tsukishima wanted nothing to do with a stranger, especially one who'd caught him touching his belongings without permission. He'd managed another step back, but his indecision was his downfall. The man came into view through the glass windows of the door, and then said door was swinging open.

Tsukishima resigned himself to his fate.


	2. One by One

The man before him was just a smidge shorter than Tsukishima himself, but definitely more broad-shouldered. His hair was even more wild up close, raven strands sticking up and off to one side, as if he'd just woken up from a nap. An easy grin slid across his lips, and Tsukishima stared at it warily.

He really was never very good at dealing with new people.

“Hey,” the man greeted amicably, continuing to negate the intimidating aura he'd expressed when he'd first addressed Tsukishima. “So, what on the list made you sit on my bike?”

Tsukishima frowned at the question. It was something he could have easily asked while up on the balcony. Hardly enough to snuff out a cigarette and rush down here for.

“... just a picture of me sitting on a motorcycle,” Tsukishima replied. He dipped his hand in his pocket and retrieved the piece of paper, feeling oddly compelled to prove himself by showing the requirement. The man's grin widened at the sight of the paper.

“Can I see what you're doing this year?” He asked, leaning that much closer. 

“... you're familiar with it, then,” Tsukishima deduced, handing the paper over without complaint. The raven took the paper with excitement, his eyes scanning down the page. That look of excitement dwindled into a frown.

“You only have like... five things checked off,” he said, sounding perplexed. Tsukishima shrugged.

“I haven't checked off the motorcycle one yet,” Tsukishima replied. He left off an additional, 'because you scared the shit out of me'. Not like it mattered. It didn't look like the other man had heard Tsukishima at all, still staring down at the scavenger hunt list with incredible focus.

“... have that, and that, those are easy enough,” the man was mumbling to himself, now. Tsukishima was only slightly concerned. “... yeah, we could still totally get this done. Oh, wait, does it still end by seven in the morning?”

Those eyes, brown, Tsukishima could see, now that he was this close, were back on him. What Tsukishima could not see was where the hell this was going. There were many, many things that he wanted to address.

Who was this guy? Why did he know about the freshman scavenger hunt? What the hell was that 'we' when talking about 'getting it done'? 

What came out in his confusion, however, was a simple, “Yes.”

The grin was back on the man's face.

“Sweet!” He exclaimed, gesturing toward his apartment building. “I have a leather jacket, a swimsuit you can borrow and a tub we can fill, and we can totally take my mattress mattress surfing down the stairs, so long as Old Man Kenshin doesn't catch us. And I know I can make an unconventional dessert with the stuff in my cabinets.”

Tsukishima was having trouble comprehending. When the other man began walking back to the front door, the scavenger hunt list still in his hand, Tsukishima finally found his voice.

“Wait. I don't even _know_ you, and you want me to follow you into your apartment?” Tsukishima asked. There was also the fact this guy didn't know Tsukishima, and he was inviting him into his apartment without preamble. Tsukishima knew he probably didn't come off very menacing, with his glasses, gangly body, and in-general lack of presence. His height was probably the most intimidating thing about him, but it was the principal of the matter!

“Oh. Name's Kuroo Tetsurou. I'm a junior here,” Kuroo introduced himself, as if that made everything better. 

It didn't.

“Good for you?” Tsukishima said, holding out his hand. “Can I have my list back?”

Kuroo's eyebrows sprang upwards.

“What? I just told you I have a lot of this stuff! You obviously need help if you plan on getting this thing done by seven,” Kuroo insisted. Tsukishima couldn't help but bristle. It was just the tone this guy was using... the disbelief that Tsukishima could handle the task on his own. It shouldn't have mattered; Tsukishima didn't plan on finishing the list, anyway. He knew there were a couple things on it that there was very little chance of him accomplishing, especially all by himself.

Still.

“It doesn't concern you,” Tsukishima replied. It was a tad harsh, maybe even a little bitter. He didn't care. He just wanted to go back to his task of checking off a few things to make Yamaguchi happy.

“But it does!” Kuroo exclaimed. The voice was loud, and it made Tsukishima jump at its suddenness. The raven was swinging the paper in his hand, looking at Tsukishima with desperate eyes that caught the blond off-guard. “Dude, I did this challenge two years ago! And you know what happened?” There was a dramatic pause, in which Tsukishima was preparing for the worst. “My best bro! My compadre! My bff! He beat me by one item! ONE. I got second place!” He looked incredibly pained for a moment. Then, he was back to staring at Tsukishima, a determined glint in his eyes. “You sitting on my bike for this scavenger hunt is fate, man. I'm going to help you accomplish as much as possible on this list, and I am going to rub it in Bokuto's _face_.”

Tsukishima hoped, dearly, that the expression he wore was somehow able to express the pure incredulousness he felt. He was now convinced the man in front of him was an idiot. There were Hinata-esque vibes coming off him right now; that crazed tenacity over the stupidest things. Tsukishima snapped his mouth closed, only now realizing his lips had parted during Kuroo's speech, and his lips formed a frown. He cocked his head up and narrowed his eyes.

“So you want to be Freshman King when you're a junior? Isn't that a little pathetic?” Tsukishima asked. 

“Not when your best friend stripped you of the title in the moment,” Kuroo stated with emphasis. He then took a deep breath and let it out, his eyebrows furrowing. “If I can ask, why are you even doing this? You don't seem very... enthusiastic about it.”

“Because I'm not,” Tsukishima replied with a shrug. “I only started it because a friend insisted. That friend ended up going home sick, so I'm on my way home, too.”

“Even better! Do this for your fallen friend!” Kuroo said enthusiastically. Tsukishima snorted at the dramatics. He opened his mouth, about to reply, when his phone beeped. He gestured a finger at Kuroo and unpocketed the cell, frowning when he saw a message from Hinata. It was a video. Tsukishima planned to get the list back from Kuroo and watch it later, but in the moment his phone lagged, his thumb hit the screen twice, and the video immediately opened.

“YO, STINGYSHIMA!” Hinata's voice was loud and grainy from his phone speakers. Tsukishima flinched, glaring at the shock of orange hair on the screen. “Kageyama and I met up with some people and we are murdering this list! Hope you and Yamaguchi can catch up. OR NOT!”

Hinata's shit-eating grin disappeared from the camera's focus, and Tsukishima saw the brief sight of a human pyramid being built before the video cut off.

It left a bad taste in Tsukishima's mouth.

“... oooh, and he has a challenger,” Kuroo cooed. Tsukishima turned his glare back up to the raven, but it had no effect. “What are you going to do about that, Mr. Stingyshima?”

“It's _Tsukishima_ ,” Tsukishima snapped. He immediately regretted giving his name.

“Tsukishima,” Kuroo repeated, grinning. He drew closer to the blond, pivoting on his heel so he could swing an arm across Tsukishima's shoulders. With him so close, the faint smell of smoke itched at Tsukishima's nose. “How about it? Work with me on this. I can get revenge on my bro, you can revel in the defeat of whoever that was on the phone, and you can accomplish the things on this list for your sick friend. I have experience with this shit. I can guide you through it.”

Tsukishima stayed tense beneath the arm around his shoulders.

“Bold words for someone who came second,” Tsukishima drawled.

“You're rather prickly, aren't you?” Kuroo asked, looking far too amused and far too little annoyed. “That attitude isn't going to get you anywhere with things like this. But don't worry. I can be enthusiastic enough for both of us.”

Tsukishima didn't doubt that.

“You're honestly better off finding someone else doing the scavenger hunt. They're running all around here,” Tsukishima said.

“Maybe,” Kuroo agreed. “But it would take time to find someone else, and time is not on our side right now. Especially with this pathetic list.” He waved the list in front of Tsukishima's face, the blond scrunching up his face when the edge of the paper tickled at the end of his nose. “So come on!”

Kuroo tugged at his shoulders, trying to lead him to the apartment building. Though insistent, the hold that arm had on him was loose enough for him to slip away if he wanted to. 

Tsukishima seriously thought about it.

He imagined what would happen if he called Yamaguchi and told him about the weird twist of events. The freckled boy would sure encourage him; he always encouraged him when it came to socializing. Tsukishima kind of, but not really, hated him for it.

He imagined Hinata and Kageyama's faces if Tsukishima ended up accomplishing more than them. That was definitely a pleasant thought, one that brought out his competitive side.

_“If the scavenger hunt requires a picture with a chicken, I'll be sure to come find you.”_

Tsukishima shrugged Kuroo's arm off his shoulders and took a step away from him. He watched as the raven's face fell.

“I don't have much faith in this, but,” Tsukishima began. He slipped his cell phone back into his pocket and lifted a hand to snatch the list back. “the guy who just called? I would really love to hold this over his head for the rest of his life.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in. When they did, the raven let out an excited yelp, throwing his fists into the air in victory.

“Yes!” Kuroo yelled. “Oh man, Tsukki, we got this. We are in deep, now. We are partners. Heroes of justice. Two peas in a pod. Yin and yang. Br-”

“Shut up,” Tsukishima snapped, even as he followed Kuroo into the apartment building. “And never call me 'Tsukki' again.”

Kuroo grinned, made a show of pinching two fingers together and running them across his lips, and began bounding up the staircase two steps at a time. Tsukishima walked up the steps like a normal person, glancing around.

The building was older, but obviously kept up. The harsh fluorescent lights flickered, and for a brief second, Tsukishima was taken back to his original thoughts. This was so stupid, following someone he didn't even know into his apartment. But as he reached the second floor landing and saw Kuroo standing outside of one of the doors, nearly swaying back and forth on his heels in excitement, Tsukishima huffed.

If Kuroo was a serial killer, then Tsukishima was Barney.

“I'll get you the leather jacket, and then I'll start filling the bathtub,” Kuroo said as he guided Tsukishima inside the apartment. Even though the place was small, Tsukishima felt a pang of jealousy. Freshmen were required to live in the dorms, which meant roommates. Tsukishima couldn't wait to live on his own.

“I was on my way to the store when I saw your bike,” Tsukishima commented. There was a can of soda and an open pizza box on the table in front of the couch. Typical. The blond had a hunch that he wouldn't find much if he opened the fridge.

“That's our next stop!” Kuroo said from his room. In the next moment, he emerged, holding a leather jacket in his hands. “Here's this!”

Tsukishima took it, surprised by its heaviness. It was a nice one, even if it was worn from use. Tsukishima slipped it on, feeling the weight against his shoulders, and was once again hit with the faint smell of smoke. He took his phone out and held it up, briefly wondering if he should smile. 

He didn't.

The sound of running water reached his ears, and he glanced in the direction of the sound. Switching the cell phone to his messages, he typed a quick message to Yamaguchi, asking if he had gotten home and was resting. In the last moment, he attached the picture of himself in the leather jacket.

With the task done, he followed the sound of the water to Kuroo's bathroom, only to nearly get bowled over.

“Whoa, sorry!” Kuroo apologized, when they nearly collided in the doorway. Tsukishima quickly stepped aside and let Kuroo through. “Check the water; I tried to make it lukewarm! I'm going to grab the swim trunks and then we can make a plan of action as the tub fills!”

Tsukishima stepped into the bathroom, eyes stopping at the water gushing from the faucet.

“Plan of action?” Tsukishima repeated, raising his voice to be heard.

“Of course! There's an order to how to do this. You can't just expect all the things on the list to come falling into your lap!” Kuroo yelled back to him, from some other room in the apartment. Tsukishima knelt down to stick his hand into the water. It really was a perfect lukewarm. “First, can you underline everything on the list that we can possibly buy at the store?”

Tsukishima looked around, finding a washcloth folded on the sink. He used it to dry his hand, and then got his list back out.

A zebra-striped item could surely be found at the store... along with a yellow umbrella, balloons, straws, soda...

Tsukishima was still underlining when Kuroo came back into the bathroom, holding up a pair of hideously bright swim trunks.

“... are those from the eighties?” Tsukishima asked with contempt. Kuroo barked a laugh.

“Too cool for you?” Kuroo asked, swaying the trunks back and forth. “Too bad for you, the list requires you to be the one wearing them.”

“They look a little big,” Tsukishima commented, setting the list in his lap to take the trunks.

“Good thing the list doesn't say they have to be perfectly fitting, then. Go ahead and change into them. I'm going to go rip the sheets off my bed so we can drag the mattress out of the door,” Kuroo instructed, once again disappearing from sight. Tsukishima shook his head, sending one last disgusted look at the trunks before tugging his shirt off.

The trunks weren't incredibly big. They, at least, stayed on Tsukishima's hips, but not without dipping dangerously low. Tsukishima bunched them up at the side to hold them up, stepping into the water of the tub. He quickly realized that trying to angle the picture to show both the swim trunks and the full bathtub, while holding the trunks to his waist and actually hitting the button to snap the picture, was too much of a feat.

“Kuroo!” Tsukishima yelled.

“Yeah?” Came a response.

“I need you to take the picture!” Tsukishima called. There was a moment before Tsukishima heard shuffling outside of the bathroom, and then Kuroo was jogging in. 

“Got you,” Kuroo said with a grin, taking the phone. Again, Tsukishima was unsure of what expression to make, especially with someone else taking the photo. From Kuroo's little huff of laughter, whatever expression he did make was entertaining. “See? Those swim trunks totally make you look cool.”

“Shut up,” Tsukishima replied. “Do you want me to unplug the tub?”

“If you could, yeah,” Kuroo said. Tsukishima leaned down to do just that, a loud glugging sound filling the air as the water swirled. “Wow, do you ever get out? You're super pale.”

Tsukishima suddenly felt self-conscious in the trunks. He looked over at where he'd set his clothes to the side, wanting to be back in them immediately, but his feet were wet. As if able to read his mind, Kuroo opened a cabinet and took out a towel, spreading it out on the floor.

“Do you think I get out a lot, being as prickly as I am?” Tsukishima asked, stepping out of the tub and reaching for his shirt. 

“No, probably not,” Kuroo chuckled. The phone still in Kuroo's hand dinged, and he handed it over. “You take that. I'm almost done concocting an unconventional dessert.”

And he was gone again. Tsukishima took advantage of his absence to get dressed without prying eyes, and then checked his phone.

'Sorry, I was in the shower. The jacket looks cool! How'd you come across that?'

Yamaguchi had texted him back. Tsukishima was slightly concerned that the freckled boy wasn't sleeping already.

'I'll tell you tomorrow. Get some sleep.'

With a reply sent, Tsukishima made his way out of the bathroom. The first thing he noticed was a stripped mattress leaning up against the couch. The second thing he noticed was that the kitchen light had been turned on, and there were sounds coming from that direction, so he moved his feet toward the sounds.

He kinda wished he hadn't.

There, on the bar, sat a plate with a monstrosity on it. Kuroo stood next to it, looking entirely too entertained, sprinkling... what looked like sprinkles over said monstrosity. Tsukishima was a little afraid to ask, but he did anyway.

“What is that?” Tsukishima asked, his lip curling up. Kuroo glanced back at him and grinned.

“I call it, 'Unconventional Dessert a la Kuroo',” Kuroo replied, gesturing to the plate with jazz hands. “Blueberry waffles on the bottom, drenched in maple syrup, with coffee ice cream on top of that, and a smather of gummy worms, M&M's, and sprinkles on top.”

Tsukishima could practically feel his teeth rotting.

“I'm glad all I need is a picture of it,” Tsukishima said, walking closer to take the picture. 

“It may be unconventional, but I'll eat it later. I'm a broke college student. I can't let food go to waste,” Kuroo said. Tsukishima tossed him a look of disbelief and intelligently made no further comment. “Did you underline everything we can buy?”

“I didn't finish,” Tsukishima said, getting the list back out. A silver necklace, a baseball, an item with a duck-

“Oh hey!” Kuroo exclaimed. Tsukishima's shoulders hiked up. When he Kuroo gotten so close? “I have that one, too!”

He disappeared, again. Tsukishima shook his head and stayed focused on his task of underlining things they could buy. When Kuroo returned, he was holding a small green plant. Tsukishima blinked at it, and then looked back up at Kuroo, alarmed when the raven held the green plant above their heads with a smirk.

“Want to cross this one off the list?” Kuroo asked, using the hand that wasn't holding up the green plant to point to something on the list.

~~~  
You and another person kissing beneath mistletoe.  
~~~

Tsukishima's lips parted in his astonishment, embarrassment creeping into his cheeks. Of course he'd known that particular one was on the list, but it was one he'd quickly determined he wasn't going to get. Kissing a stranger was not, in the least, appealing to him. Suddenly being propositioned by the man in front of him was not something he was expecting.

“... no,” Tsukishima rejected. He reached up to take hold of Kuroo's arm and bring it down.

“Hm? More into the female persuasion?” Kuroo asked, much too nonchalant. Tsukishima almost wanted to laugh at the question. He was definitely not into the 'female persuasion'. There were two more glaringly obvious problems here.

Tsukishima decided to only share one.

“That's not mistletoe,” Tsukishima said, nodding his head to the plant in Kuroo's hand. Confusion clouded the raven's face.

“What? Yes it is,” Kuroo rebutted, furrowing his eyebrows.

“No. That's holly,” Tsukishima sighed, shaking his head. “Mistletoe has white berries and rounder leaves.”

“No it doesn't,” Kuroo continued to refuse. Tsukishima rolled his eyes, opening the internet on his phone and doing a search.

“Here,” Tsukishima said, holding it up. There on the screen, it showed a picture of both holly and mistletoe, and explained the differences.

“... huh,” Kuroo said, reading intently. Tsukishima let him do that, looking back at the list. 

Something caught his eye.

“... Kuroo,” Tsukishima said, catching his attention. “What time does the library on campus close?”

“Uh... I don't know?” Kuroo asked. “It doesn't stay open very late, does it?”

That's what Tsukishima was afraid of. He quickly snatched his phone from Kuroo's grip, ignoring the protest, and went to the college's website.

“... it closes at 9:30,” Tsukishima said. Kuroo glanced at the clock, and then at the list.

~~~  
You and another person sitting next to the fiction section in the campus library.  
~~~

“... shit!” Kuroo exclaimed. “Okay, mattress surfing can wait. Let's go.”

“The library is on the other side of campus,” Tsukishima said.

“That's why we're taking my motorcycle,” Kuroo assured, jogging out of the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of fun things planned for these two. Hope you continue to enjoy!
> 
> P.S. - The holly/mistletoe mix-up is a pet peeve of mine!!!


	3. Motorcycle Ride

“Is it really worth it? To go all the way over there for this one thing?” Tsukishima asked, uncertainly. They were now back outside, standing on the sidewalk where they'd met. Tsukishima eyed the motorcycle in trepidation. The bike was neat to look at, and Tsukishima certainly hadn't minded sitting on it for a picture, but to actually ride one? His heart thumped just a little harder at the thought.

“It's _completely_ worth it,” Kuroo countered. He lifted a helmet over his head, strapping it snuggly to his skull. “If we have any chance of completing this list tonight, we have to prioritize the things on the list that have time limits.”

Tsukishima wanted to argue. He had very little confidence that they would accomplish everything on the list, and frankly, he didn't even want to try. However, the raven was waving a second helmet in front of his face, prompting his jaw to stay clicked shut.

He took the helmet with hesitant hands, eyeing the headgear as if it personally offended him. Kuroo must have thought the look was funny, because he huffed a laugh.

“I've had this motorcycle for a couple years and haven't crashed it once. I'll get you to the library in one piece. Promise,” Kuroo said with a grin. 

“Dreaded final words,” Tsukishima muttered underneath his breath. Still, he brought the helmet down over his head.

“Hop on; let's go, before it's too late!” Kuroo said. He turned the key, and the motorcycle's engine revved. Tsukishima approached, eyeing the situation before taking hold of the back of Kuroo's shirt and throwing a leg over. He fumbled a bit before finding a resting place for his feet and clutching onto Kuroo's shirt with both hands. “I'm going to suggest you wrap your arms around me. Also, when we turn, I'll need you to lean into the turn. It might feel like you're going to fall, but you won't.”

They hadn't even moved yet and Tsukishima had already decided that he didn't like this.

“I'm fine,” Tsukishima said, loudly, to be heard of the engine. He watched Kuroo's shoulders shrug, and tensed when Kuroo's foot came off the pavement. With a small jerk, the motorcycle was in motion, pulling out onto the street. Immediately, Tsukishima didn't feel safe. He slid closer and wrapped his arms around Kuroo's waist.

He couldn't hear it over the engine, but he could feel Kuroo's stomach jumping in laughter. One small saving grace was that Kuroo couldn't see the agitation playing on his face.

It was an experience. Even though Tsukishima could tell the raven wasn't going much faster than the speed limit, being out in the open air made all the difference. The air whipped by him, slipping into the openings of his shirt and ever-so-gently stinging his arms. When they made a turn, it really did feel like they were going to fall sideways. He was glad Kuroo had warned him ahead of time to brace himself for it.

When they finally pulled into a nearly desolate parking lot, Kuroo chose the closest parking space that didn't advertise handicapped parking and cut off the engine. Tsukishima waited until Kuroo had a foot properly braced against the concrete before carefully sliding off. He frowned at the wobbly state of his legs as he took the helmet off.

There was a rather disgusting smear of bug guts on the shield. He was incredibly happy that Kuroo had a second helmet.

“You alive?” Kuroo asked, hooking his helmet onto a handlebar.

“In one piece. So far,” Tsukishima replied, handing over his own helmet. Kuroo grinned.

“I don't think I've ever come to the library for anything other than to study my life away before exams,” Kuroo commented as they walked up the winding sidewalk to the building. The entire front was made of glass walls, letting the fluorescent lighting seep out into the darkness. There were just a few stragglers inside. If Tsukishima had to guess, most were probably workers. Coming here immediately was definitely their only chance of crossing that particular event off their list.

Tsukishima was a little surprised at himself for calling it 'their' list. But that's what this was now, right? He'd already followed Kuroo into his apartment, wore his clothes, and rode his motorcycle. For now, Tsukishima was dedicated to seeing this through.

He wondered if Kageyama and Hinata had thought to go to the library earlier.

“Procrastinator?” Tsukishima questioned.

“Yep. But it's always worked out for me. As long as I have a crash study session the day before a test, I can usually pull out an A,” Kuroo explained. He opened the door for Tsukishima when they got to the front. 

“... thanks,” Tsukishima muttered as he passed into the air-conditioned space. “I think I'd throw up if I left all my studying for the day before.”

Kuroo opened his mouth to respond, but a female's voice filled Tsukishima's ears instead.

“Excuse me,” came a voice from their left. Tsukishima looked over to see a librarian behind the front desk, looking the very definition of 'I'm trying to be polite, but I will murder you'. “We close in three minutes, so unless you are dropping off books, please come back tomorrow morning.”

“No worries!” Kuroo exclaimed, waving a hand through the air. “We're just here to take a quick picture and then we're gone! Could you point us to the fiction section, please?”

The librarian's frown did not cease, but she lifted a hand to point a finger, anyway. Kuroo put a little pep in his step and nearly started jogging. Feeling compelled to do the same, Tsukishima followed.

“I could have told you where the fiction section was,” Tsukishima commented.

“You're a reader, then?” Kuroo asked, taking a seat at a table next to the fiction section. He gestured toward the chair next to him, and Tsukishima sat.

“I like reading, yes,” Tsukishima agreed, taking out his cell phone and switching it to the camera. He made sure they were both in the shot, along with the small plate that read 'Fiction', before snapping a picture. Kuroo was back to his feet in the next moment.

“My nose is often buried in a book, but those books have titles that are more like 'clinical medicine' or 'biochemistry' or 'pathology',” Kuroo explained. Tsukishima's eyebrows rose at the new information. It was unexpected. “I can't remember the last time I read a book just to enjoy a story. Any recommendations?” As they approached the front door again, Kuroo flashed the librarian a smile. “Have a good night!”

The disgruntled woman said nothing.

“Er. I don't know what you like,” Tsukishima replied. As they walked back down the winding pathway, the lights inside the library began shutting off.

“Well, that's fine, because I don't even know what I like,” Kuroo said with a shrug.

“... I'll think on it,” Tsukishima decided. He got out the list and carefully used his hand as a backdrop to cross out the 'sitting near the fiction section in the library' task. Kuroo leaned closer to scan over the list.

“Nothing else pressing. We'll go back to my apartment, do the mattress surfing, and then head to the store. How much money do you have?” Kuroo asked. He handed Tsukishima his helmet when they got back to the motorcycle.

“I'm a first-year college student. What do you think?” Tsukishima drawled, following suit. 

“Well, I'm in the same boat, but hopefully we can scrounge up enough to buy what we need,” Kuroo said with a chuckle. He kicked the kick-stand up and climbed on the motorcycle, gesturing his head. Tsukishima wasn't as hesitant to get on this time, slipping his arms around Kuroo without delay. The engine rumbled loudly in the night air, and they were off.

Now that his first time on a motorcycle had passed, Tsukishima was able to give more attention to his surroundings. It was a little hypnotic, watching the streetlights come and go as they zoomed down the street. Almost soothing, as they went faster and faster.

… and faster.

Why were they suddenly going so fast?!

Tsukishima's whole body tensed as a new sound managed to enter his ears above the rev of the engine. He knew that sound.

That was the sound of sirens.

 _Police_ sirens.

Holy shit, there was a police car chasing them! Tsukishima was too young to go to jail! 

The motorcycle finally slowed, pulling off to the side of the road. Tsukishima waited until they were at a complete stop to tear his eyes off the police car behind them and stare holes into the back of Kuroo's head.

“Why the hell were you speeding!?” Tsukishima exclaimed. Shockingly, Tsukishima felt Kuroo's stomach jump again. This also made him realize that his arms were still securely around Kuroo's middle, and he let go as if he'd burned himself.

“There are two things on that list dealing with a police officer, right?” Kuroo asked, turning his head. Of course, with the helmet on, Tsukishima couldn't see his face. Tsukishima stared at where he knew his face was, anyway.

“... you did this on purpose?!” Tsukishima hissed. His shoulders hiked at the sound of the policeman's door opening behind them, and clamped his mouth shut.

He was an innocent passenger, here. He had absolutely nothing to do with this madman.

“I should deck you for this,” were the first words out of the policeman's mouth. Tsukishima's jaw dropped.

“You love me too much for that, old man,” Kuroo replied, taking off his helmet. He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. Tsukishima was almost certain he was having a panic attack.

“I don't love you enough not to give you a ticket, though. You already have two warnings under your belt, Kuroo. Just because I know you doesn't get you off the hook,” the police officer explained, looking rather bored as he wrote some things down on the pad of paper in his hands. 

“I figured. But hey, now that I'm contributing money to the city and all that.. think you can help me out with a little something?” Kuroo asked, doing his best impression of puppy eyes. Tsukishima quietly watched the scene, only feeling mildly better when it sank in that these two knew each other and the threat from the police officer was made in jest.

At least he hoped so.

“Only you would ask something from an officer in this position,” the man said with a sigh. He ripped out the paper he'd been writing on from the notepad and handed it over. “Pay it on time, or you'll have a court appearance. What do you want?”

Kuroo took the pink slip of paper and began folding it. Tsukishima found himself insanely curious to know the cost.

“We're trying to get the Freshman Scavenger Hunt done tonight. Guess what list has two things dealing with a police officer?” Kuroo grinned. The officer looked pained.

“You're not a freshman,” he accused.

“But he is,” Kuroo said, pointing at Tsukishima. Tsukishima felt like shrinking in on himself when the officer turned his way.

“... as long as it's not too outlandish, let's get this over with,” the officer sighed, shaking his head. Kuroo made a happy sound, throwing his fist into the air.

“Get off the bike and get your phone out. Let's get these done,” Kuroo said, looking far too excited. Still, Tsukishima did as he was told, his mind still racing.

“... wait, wait,” Tsukishima said as soon as his feet were grounded. He ripped his helmet off, careful of his glasses, and glared at Kuroo. “This doesn't make sense. If you knew a police officer, why didn't you just stop and ask him to do this for us?”

Kuroo barked a laugh, getting off the bike and propping it on the kickstand.

“Nekomata would have never agreed to it for free,” Kuroo explained, shaking his head. “You have to guilt trip the man to get anything out of him.”

“I can hear you,” Nekomata said from where he stood by his hood.

“Good. Then you can confirm what I'm saying. If I had stopped and asked you for help, what would you have said?” Kuroo asked.

“I'd tell you to buzz off and stop wasting my time,” Nekomata confirmed. Kuroo shot Tsukishima a look that Tsukishima frowned at.

“Ugh, whatever. It's your money. The same money you just said you didn't have much of,” Tsukishima pointed out. “The list says I need a picture with a policeman and a picture of me inside a police car.”

“Then get over here and do it, boy,” Nekomata said impatiently. Tsukishima quickly walked up to him and snapped a picture. He waited for the officer to open the backseat of the vehicle and climbed in, giving the phone to Kuroo. 

“One night with me and I've already turned you into a convict,” Kuroo chuckled, holding the phone up. Tsukishima flashed him a middle finger and Kuroo clicked his tongue. “Good thing I had already taken the picture. I don't think the contest judges would have appreciated that.”

“I don't want to get any calls tonight that involve you doing anything illegal for this scavenger hunt, you hear me?” Nekomata asked.

“Scout's honor,” Kuroo said, making an 'x' over his heart. Tsukishima didn't believe him for a second.

“Have a good night, boys,” Nekomata said, climbing back into his car. Kuroo waved at him, and Tsukishima was pleased when those lights stopped flashing and the police car drove away. Tsukishima crossed his arms and glared daggers at Kuroo.

“You're absolutely insane,” Tsukishima claimed.

“Nah. Definition of that is someone doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I haven't done that,” Kuroo shrugged.

“You just got a speeding ticket for nothing but a stupid scavenger hunt,” Tsukishima stressed.

“It's anything but stupid. Like I told you, I'm determined to rub this in Bokuto's face,” Kuroo replied, looking smug at the thought. Tsukishima stared at him for a bit before shaking his head.

“And as much as I want to beat the Stupid Duo, I don't want to get caught up in something illegal. It doesn't mean that much,” Tsukishima argued. Kuroo put up his hands in a defensive position.

“Hey, now. I just told Officer Nekomata that I wouldn't do anything illegal, right?” Kuroo asked. “Believe me. I've got graduation to think about. I'm not going to do anything too outlandish.”

“But speeding tickets are game?”

“People get speeding tickets every day!”

“Doesn't mean they should!”

Kuroo whistled, the sound drawn out.

“You are a stickler for the rules, aren't you?” Kuroo asked. Tsukishima immediately felt self-conscious, deciding to give in.

“Let's just get back to your apartment. We're wasting time, aren't we?” Tsukishima asked, standing by the motorcycle and putting his helmet back on. Kuroo frowned, reaching up to scratch at the back of his head. It only lasted a moment. The raven was swinging a leg back over his bike in the next second, putting on his helmet and starting the engine.

They were already close to Kuroo's apartment, so the ride only took five minutes.

It was as they were ascending the stairs, with that flickering ceiling light flashing above them, that Kuroo spoke up again.

“If I like... legitimately scared you with that stunt, I'm sorry,” Kuroo apologized. Tsukishima wasn't expecting it, nor for it to sound genuine. He figured they would let it drop and continue the rest of their night as best as they could. 

It was a pleasant surprise.

“... just, give me a warning if a police officer is about to chase us down again?” Tsukishima said. The corner of Kuroo's lips curled upwards.

“I can do that,” Kuroo agreed.

The apartment was exactly the way they'd left it. Which made sense, but in their rush, Tsukishima hadn't even realized they had left several lights on, a stripped mattress leaning against the wall, and-

“It melted!” Kuroo shouted in dismay. On the kitchen counter was Kuroo's forgotten, self-claimed 'Unconventional Dessert a la Kuroo'. The coffee ice cream had melted into a puddle of liquid, making the waffles beneath drenched and soggy.

Tsukishima hid a smirk behind his hand while observing the utter distress on Kuroo's face.

That smirk turned into a disgusted scowl when Kuroo picked up a gummy worm from the concoction and ate it.

Just what had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are enjoying the shenanigans these two are going through!
> 
> Accomplished so far:
> 
> Wash Me on a car window.  
> An unconventional dessert.  
> A license plate with a full word on it.  
> You and another person lying in the road.  
> You and another person sitting next to the fiction section in the campus library.  
> You on a motorcycle.  
> You with a policeman.  
> You inside of a police car.  
> You standing in a full bathtub wearing a swimsuit.  
> You wearing a leather jacket.  
> You on a full bus.


	4. The Wind Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is ridiculous.

When Tsukishima was a young boy, staying inside, curled up with a book or hammering away at the buttons on his video game controller, was the most peaceful way to pass the time. Going outside meant braving the weather and the bugs and the people... he wasn't fond. His family worried, though, and tried to convince him to get out of the house.

The end result of that was Tsukishima joining a sport.

Baseball seemed like the least annoying option, at least to him. As offense, he could sit down until it was his turn, and as defense, he could stand around until a ball came flying his way. He didn't think his mom liked his choice, though, if the way she worked herself up in frenzies trying to get grass and dirt stains out of his white uniform said anything.

Still, it was something that got him out of the house and interacting with others. Tsukishima didn't particularly like it, but he didn't hate it, either. It was in his nature to meet challenges head-on. He went to every practice and listened diligently to his coach. By the time he'd played a few games, people were saying he had quite an arm on him.

Even if he was working hard to improve himself, it didn't mean others were. The baseball field seemed like a natural magnet for trouble. Kids who climbed the fences or brought in spray paint to draw graffiti over the walls were common. Skateboarders would attempt to grind against the sides of the bleachers, leaving scuffs and marks where spectators would settle. Tsukishima knew he should probably be upset at the way they were destroying the place where his team's supporters would sit and cheer. Instead, even though he would never try something like it himself, knew he would fall flat on his face if he did, he always thought it was neat, the way they precariously balanced themselves on the board.

It was all he could think about now, as he stood at the foot of the staircase in Kuroo's apartment complex, looking at said man balancing himself on his mattress at the top of the steps through his phone's camera.

Another person mattress surfing.

Tsukishima was glad it wasn't him.

“You ready?” Kuroo called down to him.

“Wouldn't miss this for the world,” Tsukishima responded with a smirk. It was inevitable that Kuroo would crash into the wall. The staircase was sectioned, not straight down. It wouldn't even be much of a ride, which meant Tsukishima had to take a picture at the right moment, or it would be for naught. His finger stayed poised over the shutter button.

“Kowabunga!” Kuroo yelled in a war cry. He pushed his weight forward, enough to send the mattress careening down the stairs. Tsukishima hurriedly snapped the picture, impressed when Kuroo actually managed to stay on his feet for a moment. But when the wall loomed closer, Kuroo went to his knees, letting out a yelp and holding his arms out. It helped, somewhat. He still crashed his shoulder into the wall.

Tsukishima's attempt to hold in his laughter didn't work. He took another picture, one of Kuroo pancaked against the wall, just because he could.

“Are you going to need help?” Tsukishima asked, walking closer. Kuroo grunted, managing to push himself off the wall and crawl off the mattress.

“I think I'm good, but I really want to see the picture,” Kuroo chuckled, still rubbing his shoulder. Tsukishima clicked back to the picture of him smushed against the wall, and Kuroo squawked. “Please tell me you actually got a picture that counts.”

“You're telling me you wouldn't do that again?” Tsukishima asked, just to mess with him. It was gratifying to see that expression sour.

“It's past ten o'clock,” a new voice sounded from behind them. Tsukishima's good mood vanished, his shoulders tensing, like a child caught doing something they weren't supposed to be doing. He turned, seeing a man standing there, looking very much like he had just climbed out of bed. Probably because of their stunt. Whoops. “Why all the ruckus?”

“Sorry!” Kuroo exclaimed. It was with a familiarity that made Tsukishima realize Kuroo knew this man. Tsukishima was starting to find out Kuroo knew a lot of people. “Was just trying to bring a mattress down to the dumpster and it got away from me.”

Wow, what a lie. The man seemed to think so, too. He crossed his arms and looked highly unamused.

“So you normally yell 'kowabunga' as a mattress gets away from you?” The man asked. Kuroo merely grinned.

“Wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've ever said,” Kuroo admitted. He backed away from Tsukishima's cellphone, twirling around to look at where the mattress was still lying on the stairs. “But, actually, now that I look at it, the mattress sure handled that fall well! Maybe it doesn't need to be thrown away after all!”

It was so obvious every word coming from his mouth was utter bullshit. Tsukishima bit down on a snort, but wasn't oblivious to the obvious cue. He joined Kuroo on the stairs, helping him lift the mattress up on its side.

“Just keep it down, will you? I do my best not to have complaints around here,” the man said, shaking his head. He disappeared down the hall from where he'd come from.

“... the dumpster, huh?” Tsukishima whispered, eyeing the corner the man disappeared around as if he were still lingering in the area. Kuroo chuckled.

“I'm pretty good at making up stories on the fly,” Kuroo responded. Tsukishima was tempted to reply to that. They were terrible stories, even if it was fast thinking, and just the fact that he was good at impromptu stories said a lot about Kuroo as a person. He decided to keep the thoughts to himself.

“I _did_ get a good picture, by the way,” Tsukishima assured.

“Oh thank God. Though, I was willing to go again if you didn't,” Kuroo said.

\---

“Alright. Give me the rundown of everything we need.”

They had just crossed the threshold into the neighborhood store. Considering this was Tsukishima's original destination, there was a sense of accomplishment that washed over him as he fished out the list again.

“Something zebra-striped, a yellow umbrella, a sale sign, a silver necklace, balloons, straws, a baseball, something with a duck on it, a Happy Birthday banner, a costume, and possibly ballet shoes?” Tsukishima answered with furrowed brows. He walked as he talked, Kuroo's back in his periphery. 

“Umbrellas, clothes, and jewelry are in the same general area, so let's start there,” Kuroo decided.

They really should have expected what they found. There was a big box of umbrellas, but absolutely none of them were yellow. 

“Picked clean,” Tsukishima sighed. Of course it would be. This was the biggest store in the town, and it was going on eleven at night.

“We can ask an associate if they have any in the back, or try another place,” Kuroo suggested. Tsukishima was sure others had done the same thing, but he wouldn't rain on Kuroo's parade.

There was a sudden noise, like something had been dropped to the floor. Tsukishima turned his head in the direction he heard it from, but saw nothing. He was willing to let it go, but something felt... off. He looked over his other shoulder, eyes scanning the area. There was a couple near the end of the aisle, talking quietly amongst themselves. Other than that, the area was empty. 

Still, Tsukishima couldn't shake the off feeling.

“Earth to Tsukishima,” Kuroo interrupted his thoughts. Tsukishima turned toward him, only to find a zebra-striped hat upon his head, complete with a large feather. Kuroo grinned, tipping the hat toward him. “Don't I look dashing?”

Tsukishima snorted.

“That looks expensive. Is there anything else zebra-striped?” Tsukishima asked.

“It's not too terrible. Seventeen dollars,” Kuroo replied.

“There has to be something better. Like a striped paperclip or something under a buck,” Tsukishima muttered.

“Cheap.”

“We don't have much money. Or time, so let's go,” Tsukishima pressed. As they traipsed the store, Tsukishima noticed others around their age, arms full of things suspiciously similar to those on his list.

“We have competition around here,” Kuroo noted. The knowledge worked their legs just a little harder, trying to get to what they needed before others could. 

Tsukishima _still_ felt like he was being watched.

If Hinata and Kageyama were stalking him, the baseball in their cart was going to go straight into one of their faces.

Minus a yellow umbrella and ballet shoes, they rolled up to a check-out counter with everything they needed. Tsukishima charged it to a credit card after getting Kuroo's sworn promise that he would pay for half of the stuff when he could. Normally, Tsukishima wouldn't put that much trust in a stranger. He felt appeased, however, by the fact Kuroo had a speeding ticket to pay off.

It was immediately after they'd pushed the cart outside, Kuroo jogged forward and began grabbing at the bags in the cart.

“What are you doing?” Tsukishima asked, watching as Kuroo slipped the remaining bags onto his arms and turned to place them on the concrete, against the building. 

“We need another person in a shopping cart, right?” Kuroo asked. With his hands now free, he grabbed hold of the sides of the cart and hefted himself up. Tsukishima tightened his grip on the handle when the cart began rolling. “You know, it's kind of sad that all of your 'another person' goals are going to be fulfilled by me. You need more friends.”

“Be grateful I didn't just let you roll out into the parking lot,” Tsukishima quipped.

“My savior!” Kuroo exclaimed, tone purposefully high-pitched. Tsukishima snorted as Kuroo lowered himself into the cart and flashed Tsukishima a goofy peace sign. With a smirk on his lips, Tsukishima lifted his phone to snap a picture.

There was movement in the corner of Tsukishima's eye.

“I'll be borrowing these!”

The yell was accompanied with a guy grabbing hold of the majority of their shopping bags, whatever he could grab, before he dashed off. Tsukishima was momentarily stunned.

“Wha- HEY!” Kuroo yelled, jostling the cart in his efforts to get out.

So someone _had_ been watching them. Tsukishima wasn't crazy. There was no doubt the guy who'd just looted their stuff was a broke college student trying to do the scavenger hunt.

Tsukishima looked down at the two measly bags the guy didn't manage to grab. A baseball was slowly rolling out of one. Without further hesitation, Tsukishima rushed forward and grabbed that baseball. He looked back up at the running guy, channeling all of the baseball training he'd had as a kid. He aimed, reared his arm back, and then threw with all his might.

The ball soared through the night air, rolling beneath the street lights, and... slammed into the back of the guy's head. 

There was some sort of sound that left the guy's mouth, but it was muffled and far away. In the next instant, the guy fell forward, onto the concrete. He didn't move.

Tsukishima took in a deep breath, feeling all kinds of shocked and satisfied all at once.

“... holy shit,” Kuroo whispered next to him. He was now out of the cart, his feet on the concrete. Tsukishima turned and met his gaze. They held that gaze for a moment before Kuroo began sprinting toward the thief. Tsukishima grabbed the bags that had been left behind before joining him. When he caught up, Kuroo had a hand on his forehead and was cautiously jostling the guy with his foot. “I mean, did you kill him?”

“I did not _kill_ him,” Tsukishima retorted, glaring at Kuroo before looking back down at the immobile victim. At least... he hoped? Anxiety had him bending down and holding the back of his hand in front of the guy's mouth.

There was breathing happening. He was fine.

Kuroo laughed obnoxiously at the move.

“That was fucking awesome!” Kuroo exclaimed. His eyes danced underneath the streetlights. “I mean, I am all kinds of scared of you, now, but that was _awesome_!”

“So we're even, now,” Tsukishima huffed. He gestured to the building. “Let's at least get him out of the street. I don't really want the guy to die.”

That just brought more obnoxious laughter from deep within Kuroo's gut, but the raven did help him drag the guy over and lean him against the building.

“Rest in peace, dude,” Kuroo snickered. Tsukishima hit Kuroo in the arm.

They quickly got out of there, holding on tightly to their bags.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is enjoying the light-hearted fun!


	5. The Park

Tsukishima was starting to enjoy the feeling of riding a motorcycle, even if it was a bit inconvenient to have multiple shopping bags hanging off of the wrists settled on Kuroo's torso. The motor quieted as they slowed down, parallel parking against a curb to the sidewalk surrounding a neighborhood park. A quick glance through the visor of his helmet showed that there was another group of people on the other side of the park, cell phones out and poised. He had a feeling they would be running into competition a lot tonight.

When the engine cut off, Tsukishima took his cue to extract himself from the bike. He flinched as the bags moved against his wrists. There were red marks from where they'd been resting during the ride.

“Okay,” Kuroo spoke. He reached up to take his helmet off, his hair instantly springing back up with nothing to hold it down. Hefting his leg over, he got off the bike and kicked the kick-stand out. “Let's go through what we have. I'm not going very far, though. No doubt you aren't the only one who has the guts to climb on some random motorcycle.”

The look Kuroo tossed him was playful. Tsukishima scoffed and sat down on the curb, finally able to set the bags down. He rolled his wrists around to get rid of the sting, aware of Kuroo sitting next to him from the corners of his eyes.

“Did you hurt your wrist from that killer wind-up?” Kuroo asked.

“No. The bags,” Tsukishima said, holding up his wrists to showcase the red marks. 

“Damn, we could have found a way to settle them in our laps. You should have said something,” Kuroo answered. He reached forward, his thumb brushing against the unnatural indents on Tsukishima's skin. Tsukishima retracted his hands.

“No big deal,” Tsukishima dismissed. He dug in his pocket to retrieve the scavenger hunt list. “... the zebra-striped item picture can be taken by itself.”

Tsukishima searched through the bags for the small notepad they'd bought. It had a black-and-white striped cover and was only a little over a dollar.

“Still think the hat was better,” Kuroo remarked. Tsukishima ignored it in favor of holding up the notepad and snapping a picture. “Hey, hey!”

Tsukishima turned to Kuroo, only to see him holding up the rubber duck they'd bought while making a classic duck face. The corners of Tsukishima's lips curled up.

“I think I'd frame that picture if I took it,” Tsukishima said. His grin turned into a frown. “Unfortunately, _I_ have to be the one making the duck face.”

“Which you'll send to me so _I_ can frame it,” Kuroo insisted.

“You wish,” Tsukishima said, shoving his phone non-too-happily Kuroo's way. Kuroo just continued to grin, passing him the rubber duck. As the flash went off, Tsukishima secretly vowed never to make a duck face again in his life.

“You find the necklace while I open this banner,” Kuroo said, setting the phone down between them and diving into the bags. Tsukishima followed the instructions. They'd gotten a metal necklace, of course, in a silver color. He hoped the competition didn't require an actual silver necklace. He couldn't figure out how they'd be able to tell, if that were true.

Kuroo was noisy, next to him, tearing through the packaging of the Happy Birthday banner. They'd grabbed the last one out on the shelf, a colorful thing with one letter on each pennant. He watched as Kuroo stood up, letting the banner unravel. Twisting it around his body, he posed with flair. 

Tsukishima snorted a laugh.

“As dramatic as that is, you can't see all the letters. I'm not taking the chance,” Tsukishima said. 

“Damn,” Kuroo cursed, unraveling it and holding his arms wide to display the words clearly. Tsukishima snapped the picture and took the time to cross off things on the list. He allowed Kuroo to take his cell phone, setting down the list and pencil so he could clasp the necklace around his neck. “You're not even going to smile for the camera?”

Tsukishima gave him the middle finger instead. Kuroo practically cackled as he took the picture.

“What kind of costume did you grab?” Tsukishima asked, delving back into the bags.

“A clown. Seemed like something that could be easily slipped on top of clothes,” Kuroo replied. Tsukishima took the package into his hands and raised his eyebrows.

“Why an extra large?” Tsukishima asked.

“The list says another person has to wear it. That doesn't necessarily mean me, right? Better to get a large size so anyone can wear it,” Kuroo reasoned. Tsukishima tore through the packaging.

“And exactly who else would be wearing this?” Tsukishima asked.

“You do realize that there are things on that list that require more than just you and me? I'm happy you want me to be your one and only partner, but you need to... you know... socialize, if you want to accomplish this scavenger hunt,” Kuroo said.

“Ew. Can we not?” Tsukishima asked. Kuroo chuckled. Tsukishima was glad Kuroo was amused, but Tsukishima was just a little serious. Being brand new to the campus, and not a social person in general, Tsukishima knew very few people around here. Yamaguchi was incapacitated at the moment, and Kageyama and Hinata were the competition. Tsukishima doubted any of his professors would be willing to get a call in the middle of the night requesting help for a stupid scavenger hunt, so that left... zero people that he knew.

It would be kind of a miracle if Kuroo and he were able to pull this out, unless Kuroo had a bunch of friends he could call. He seemed like the kind of guy who knew a lot of people.

“Hate to burst your bubble, but I think the whole socializing thing is coming sooner than you think,” Kuroo said. Tsukishima furrowed his eyebrows, seeing Kuroo jerk his head. He looked over his shoulder, realizing the group of people that he'd seen when they pulled up were making their way over.

His body tensed. The last time they'd had a run-in with others doing the scavenger hunt, he'd nearly killed a man with a baseball. He really hoped history wouldn't repeat itself.

His hand wound itself around the baseball, just in case.

“Hey, is that your bike?” One of them said when they were close enough. There was a girl holding a piece of paper in her hand, and Tsukishima was sure it was the scavenger hunt list. Of course they would be interested in Kuroo's motorcycle if they were doing the hunt. Maybe riding around on it tonight wasn't the best of ideas.

“She is, and yes, you can sit on her, _if_ ,” Kuroo began, emphasizing the word 'if' with a finger pointing straight into the air. “... you help us out, too.”

“This is a competition, you know,” one of them pointed out. Kuroo shrugged.

“You'll have to fight me to get on the bike otherwise,” Kuroo said. Then he gestured to Tsukishima, still sitting on the sidewalk with the clown costume on his lap. “More importantly, you'll have to get past him. He's already knocked a guy trying to get in our way out cold.”

Tsukishima nearly sputtered. That made him sound so violent. He could only imagine what the group was thinking about the statement.

“Peace, dude,” the guy who'd spoken first chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Sure. If I can sit on your bike, we'll help you out with something on your list.”

“Excellent. We just happen to be at a park, and one of these events requires multiple people on a park bench, so,” Kuroo trailed off, looking expectant.

“No problem. We've already done that one,” the guy replied. Tsukishima watched silently as Kuroo allowed the guy to sit on his bike and take a selfie. Realizing they would have to walk over to one of the benches, Tsukishima gathered their things together and stood up from the curb. Kuroo glanced over at him and then walked over.

“I'll get them,” Kuroo said, bending down to take the bags from Tsukishima.

“Why?” Tsukishima asked, though he put up no fight.

“'cause your wrists have suffered enough,” Kuroo said with a smile. Tsukishima scowled.

“I don't have to hang them from my wrists,” Tsukishima said stubbornly.

“It's fine, it's fine,” Kuroo insisted.

Tsukishima was almost afraid the group would run off after taking the picture on Kuroo's motorcycle, unwilling to do their end of the deal now that they'd gotten what they wanted. He was pleasantly surprised when the group walked over to the bench with them, as promised, chatting with Kuroo along the way.

Tsukishima's hunch was right. Kuroo was one of those guys who could strike up a conversation with anyone. 

Though not exactly thrilled about being pushed against strangers on the park bench, Tsukishima refused to allow a stranger to hold his cell phone. So, Kuroo took the picture with Tsukishima's phone as Tsukishima himself suffered being in the dead center of bodies crowding the park bench. 

With a few more words, the group was on their way, and the quietness of the park settled in again. 

“You're putting on this over-sized clown suit, and then we're climbing that tree,” Tsukishima ordered, crossing more off of his list.

“Yes, sir,” Kuroo said, complying. As he draped the fabric over his body, he spoke up again. “So. For real. That swing of yours was pretty incredible. Where'd you learn that?”

Tsukishima raised his cell phone and Kuroo took the opportunity to stick his tongue out at the camera. What a ham.

“I played baseball when I was younger,” Tsukishima offered in explanation. 

“Hm. I played volleyball, but that didn't teach me how to knock a guy out, so maybe I made the wrong choice,” Kuroo teased as he shed the costume.

“My brother played volleyball for a while,” Tsukishima commented.

“Oh, you have a brother? Now we're getting somewhere. I'm an only child,” Kuroo replied as they approached the tree.

“Getting somewhere?” Tsukishima asked.

“Well, yeah. We're partners in crime, now, and all I know about you is that you like reading, you've played baseball, and you're not exactly thrilled about people in general. We have to get to know each other more,” Kuroo said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. Tsukishima wasn't so certain he agreed.

“You forgot the fact I also know the difference between mistletoe and holly,” Tsukishima quipped. He pocketed his cell phone and reached up to grab hold of the lowest branch.

“I'm still baffled by that,” Kuroo said. Tsukishima knew Kuroo was right behind him, watching him heft himself up into the tree. It made him oddly nervous. He took care in making sure he didn't lose his footing.

“I do have a question for you, if you don't mind,” Tsukishima said. He had his feet planted on the lowest branch, now, and managed to lift himself up to sit on a higher branch. It was only when he was still that Kuroo began his own climb, leaving the bags of items at the tree's base.

“Hit me. But, you know, not literally,” Kuroo grinned. Tsukishima huffed, feeling the tree shake beneath his weight as Kuroo climbed.

“When that friend of yours beat you in your freshman year... what were the items you didn't accomplish?” Tsukishima asked.

“Ouch, just casually bring up my shame,” Kuroo sighed, precariously settling on a too-small branch.

“I'm okay with that,” Tsukishima smirked.

“I don't know if you're expecting some grand thing that I couldn't accomplish. It wasn't like that. I just ran out of time. All the things were different from this year's list. I do remember one thing I didn't get was a picture of a bald man,” Kuroo explained.

“Hmm. I do guess some of the things on the list are pure luck,” Tsukishima said, nodding. He held up his cell phone and tried to angle it so that both Kuroo and he was in the picture.

“Not pure luck if you try hard enough,” Kuroo answered. He paused, flashing the camera a smile. Tsukishima rolled his eyes at the antics and looked at the phone with a straight face before taking the picture. “I'm ready and willing to chase down a squirrel tonight, if that's what it takes.”

“So dedicated,” Tsukishima drawled. Kuroo let out a short laugh, climbing back down. Tsukishima waited until the raven was on the ground before descending himself. He'd been so careful going up... but now, his foot slipped. He let out a surprised yelp when he went flying to the ground faster than expected, and squeezed his eyes tightly.

“Wh-ooa!” Kuroo said, grunting when Tsukishima crashed into him. Thankfully, Tsukishima's feet made purchase on the ground, and with Kuroo breaking his fall, he managed to stay upright. He blinked his eyes open and saw that Kuroo was terribly close.

“Sorry,” Tsukishima muttered, pressing a hand against Kuroo's chest, pushing himself away. Kuroo just laughed.

“Nothing on the list says we need to be at a hospital. Let's keep it that way?” Kuroo said playfully. Embarrassed, Tsukishima made himself busy with grabbing their bags.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accomplished:
> 
> Wash Me on a car window.  
> A zebra-striped item.  
> An unconventional dessert.  
> A license plate with a full word on it.  
> You and another person lying in the road.  
> You and another person sitting next to the fiction section in the campus library.  
> You on a motorcycle.  
> You with a policeman.  
> You inside of a police car.  
> You wearing a silver necklace.  
> You standing in a full bathtub wearing a swimsuit.  
> You wearing a leather jacket.  
> You on a full bus.  
> You making a duck face while holding an item with a duck on it.  
> Another person in a shopping cart.  
> Another person holding a Happy Birthday banner.  
> Another person mattress surfing.  
> You and as many people as possible who can fit on a park bench.  
> You and another person sitting in a tree.  
> Another person in a costume.
> 
> Still Needed:
> 
> A chinese take-out menu.  
> Roadkill.  
> Stacked traffic cones.  
> A pair of ballet shoes.  
> A dog wearing a shirt with the college logo.  
> A cow.  
> A squirrel.  
> A yellow umbrella.  
> A sale sign at a store.  
> Graffiti on a wall.  
> You and another person kissing beneath mistletoe.  
> You and another person sitting in a fountain.  
> You and another person climbing a fence.  
> You and at least three other people, each holding a single balloon.  
> You and at least three other people, sharing a soda, each with their own straw.  
> You throwing a coin into a fountain.  
> You drinking from a water fountain.  
> You posing with a mannequin.  
> You piggy-backing a stranger.  
> You on a boat.  
> You in a reflection that is not a mirror.  
> You getting an old man's 'autograph' on a baseball.  
> Another person pouring a pink alcoholic beverage.  
> Another person kissing a dog on the nose.  
> Another person sitting on a dumpster with a cat.  
> Another person who is 85-years-old or more (holding their driver's license).  
> Another person with three flowers in their hair.  
> Another person balancing on one foot on a ledge.  
> A human pyramid of six people, all wearing different colored shirts.


	6. Vending Machines and Dumpster Dives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work's been crazy. This took longer than normal.

“Are people just really good drivers in this town?!” Kuroo huffed. Tsukishima fell into step next to him, absentmindedly watching their shadows twist and change shape under the streetlights. He guessed he should be watching the road, because that's why they were walking down the desolate sidewalks in the first place, looking for anything that could be described as roadkill. As Kuroo pointed out, though, it was turning out to be a daunting task.

“It's a college town. They probably want to keep it looking good,” Tsukishima commented. He swallowed after speaking, frowning. His throat was getting dry. “Is there a store or vending machine around here?”

“They can't keep on the up-keep twenty-four seven,” Kuroo grumbled. He stopped at a corner, looking up at the street signs. “Yeah, I think there are some vending machines up that way. It'll take us farther away from the bike, though.”

They'd left Kuroo's motorcycle parked outside of the park. The bags of things they'd bought were still hanging from Kuroo's wrists, and Tsukishima felt marginally guilty about that.

“Doesn't really matter. We need to keep looking for roadkill, anyway,” Tsukishima said, a yawn coming on at the end of his sentence. Kuroo jabbed his arm with his elbow as they crossed the street.

“Don't go falling asleep on me,” Kuroo insisted.

“That's why caffeine would be good,” Tsukishima replied.

“Oh, don't we need a soda, anyway?” Kuroo asked. Tsukishima raised a brow and took out the list, scanning over it. 'You and at least three other people, sharing a soda, each with their own straw.'

“Huh. We got the straws and completely forgot to grab a soda,” Tsukishima said, annoyed with himself. Kuroo leaned against his shoulder to look at the list.

“Yeah, but we also need more people to accomplish that one, so don't drink all of the soda after we get it,” Kuroo said. He leaned away, a contemplative look on his face. Tsukishima was close to inquiring, because he could tell the cogs were working under that messy hair, when something red caught his eye. There was a piece of paper amongst a pile of dirt and leaves next to a drain, which would normally be nothing of importance, but there were Chinese characters visible under the mess. Tsukishima stopped walking, and then changed his path, crouching down on the curb. Pinching a corner of the paper with two fingers, he dislodged it from the mess.

“Chinese take-out menu,” Tsukishima said, looking up. 

“Whoa, good find!” Kuroo praised. He sat down on the curb and set the bags down before taking hold of the menu. Tsukishima wiped his hands off on his jeans and then got his phone out to take a picture.

“Dirty and tattered, but it should count,” Tsukishima said.

“Yeah, you can clearly tell that it's a menu,” Kuroo agreed. He balled up the piece of paper and tossed it in one of the bags. “We'll throw it away somewhere.”

“Now who's helping them with the up-keep twenty-four seven?” Tsukishima snorted. Kuroo shrugged and reached for the bags. Tsukishima snatched two of them before he could, and promptly ignored the stare he got in return. The raven didn't mention it, though, as they continued down the road.

“... so I have this friend who has a cat,” Kuroo began. Tsukishima glanced over expectantly.

“And?” Tsukishima prompted. Kuroo sighed.

“His name is Akaashi. He could probably help us out with some things, but I'm reluctant to call him, because he's Bokuto's boyfriend. He wasn't when Bo beat me at the scavenger hunt, so he won't have any personal investment, but if I tell Akaashi, he's undoubtedly going to tell Bokuto,” Kuroo explained, biting at his lower lip. Tsukishima didn't really understand why that would be a bad thing, unless Bokuto was the type to come sabotage Kuroo just so he wouldn't have the chance to beat his past record.

“Guess that depends on how much you want this,” Tsukishima said, aware of the challenge in his own words. Kuroo's dark brown gaze met his.

“Oh, you just had to put it that way, didn't you?” Kuroo asked, grinning. The bags rustled as he fished for his phone. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're starting to get into this.”

Tsukishima shrugged, choosing not to acknowledge it.

He _guessed_ it'd be fun to accomplish everything on the list before seven in the morning. He _guessed_ it'd be fun to see Kuroo celebrate a win.

He wasn't going to get ahead of himself.

The glow of vending machines came into view down the street. The muffled sound of a phone ringing filled the air around them. Tsukishima snickered as Kuroo continued to redial the number and let it ring. It was past midnight; this Akaashi person was probably asleep. Kuroo was a brave soul. Tsukishima couldn't imagine anyone being happy-go-lucky about being woken up in the middle of the night.

Finally, the ringing cut off, and Tsukishima could hear a new sound, but it was so muffled that he couldn't make out any words.

“It _is_ an emergency,” Kuroo responded to whatever was said. “I need you and Fluffles to meet us, stat.”

The sound that came from Tsukishima was quick and ugly.

“ _Fluffles_?” Tsukishima asked, bewildered. Kuroo turned his way and grinned.

“Hey, hey, don't get mad at me. Tsukishima is the one making fun of your cat's name,” Kuroo snickered. Tsukishima immediately felt guilty and glared at Kuroo for selling him out. Kuroo didn't mind his irritation at all, bringing the phone away from his ear and tapping on the speaker phone button.

“Do I even want to know who Tsukishima is?” Came an irritated voice from the speaker.

“You should. He's pretty awesome,” Kuroo answered. Tsukishima's eyebrows flew up in surprise. “But more importantly, he's my partner in crime. We're doing the Freshman Scavenger Hunt and we really need your help. I'm willing to owe you anything you want.”

Tsukishima wasn't sure whether he was more taken aback by being called awesome or by the fact Kuroo was willing to do anything to help them complete this scavenger hunt. He quietly hoped that the man on the line would force Kuroo into something embarrassing, and he hoped he'd get to witness it. Though, that would probably mean seeing Kuroo again, after all of this.

Yamaguchi would be proud of Tsukishima making friends.

“Since when are you a freshman?” Akaashi asked. Tsukishima snickered and fished out his wallet as they came to a stop by a vending machine. Squinting into the harsh white light coming from inside, Tsukishima scanned the options.

“I'm not, but he is, and we're going to accomplish every single thing on this list by seven in the morning,” Kuroo replied.

“Oh, that's what this is. You're trying to one-up Koutarou,” Akaashi said. Tsukishima's eyes flicked over to Kuroo at the new name before he slipped some change inside the machine with soft clangs.

“When am I not?” Kuroo huffed. Tsukishima made his selection and waited for it to drop. “Which is exactly why you shouldn't tell him, and you should come meet us a- AH!”

Tsukishima jumped, his hand just shy of reaching in to get his drink. Kuroo was pointing at the vending machine with raised eyebrows.

“I can see your reflection in there! Give me your phone!” Kuroo exclaimed. Tsukishima remembered something on the list about a reflection that wasn't in a mirror and willed his heart to calm down.

“Can you not scare the hell out of me next time?” Tsukishima sighed, handing over his phone before grabbing his drink.

“Yeah, his face tends to get that reaction,” Akaashi chimed in. It was funny enough on its own, but Kuroo's offended expression made Tsukishima's shoulders tremble with mirth. Tsukishima didn't realize Kuroo had snapped a photo of him laughing until the raven was handing back his phone.

“Ha, ha. Laugh it up. Akaashi, are you going to bring Fluffles or not?” Kuroo asked. 

“Only if I get to bring Koutarou with me.”

“What?! No! This will meaning _nothing_ if he helps me!”

“I'm not going to meet some other guy after midnight without my boyfriend knowing about it.”

“Oh my God. Don't make it sound so scandalous. It's weird.”

“You _are_ a walking scandal.”

“He is. Please, come save me,” Tsukishima said, leaning closer to the phone. “We've already had the police chase us.”

“... please tell me he's kidding,” Akaashi implored.

“Look, it was just old man Nekomata. It had to be done, for the sake of the scavenger hunt list!” Kuroo exclaimed. Tsukishima rolled his eyes at the antics, taking a drink of his Pepsi. “Of all things, you got Pepsi?”

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes.

“Is there a problem with Pepsi?” Tsukishima asked.

“Only that Coke is a thousand times better,” Kuroo answered.

“'Walking scandal' is right,” Tsukishima muttered, pointedly taking another drink.

“Where are you guys?” Akaashi asked warily. Kuroo promptly shoved a fist in the air in celebration. Tsukishima could admit that it was kind of cute.

\---

“You do realize this is private property?” Tsukishima whispered, looking around warily. 

“What was your first clue?” Kuroo snarked. Tsukishima didn't appreciate it.

After getting off the phone with Akaashi, Kuroo had led him to an apartment complex. Tsukishima had the distinct impression that the residents would think they were robbers, with the way they were running around in the shadows against walls until they approached a corner with two dumpsters. That had a lot to do with the fact this was a gated community and they'd jumped the wall. Tsukishima swore there had to be an easier way to access a dumpster, but Kuroo was insistent that this place was close, using the excuse that a friend of his used to live in these apartments, so he knew the dumpsters were here.

The explanation did nothing to ease Tsukishima's anxiety.

“Now we wait on Akaashi,” Kuroo said, setting down the bags. Tsukishima eyed their closeness to the dumpsters and opted to keep hold of his. Where there was trash, there were bugs, and he didn't want any surprises later on.

“Lovely place to wait,” Tsukishima commented, his nose scrunching. 

“Sometimes, you have to get down and dirty to get what you want,” Kuroo said with a grin. Even so, he walked closer to the dumpster, raising his arms to take hold of the open lid. Tsukishima was glad he wasn't the only one bothered by the smell. “Oh, whoa, what do we have here?”

Instead of closing the lid, Kuroo peeked inside before reaching an arm in. He pulled out a sack of... Christmas stuff?

“Don't touch that stuff. It's been in a dumpster,” Tsukishima said disapprovingly.

“Too bad we don't need a santa hat. We needed one of those last time I did this,” Kuroo said, rummaging through the bag as if Tsukishima hadn't said a word. “Hey, hey! You said mistletoe had white berries, right? With rounded leaves? Like this?”

What Kuroo pulled out of the bag was definitely mistletoe, complete with pink ribbon. Of all places to find mistletoe, Tsukishima would have never guessed it'd be in a dumpster.

“That's mistletoe,” Tsukishima confirmed. 

“Sweet,” Kuroo said, tossing the bag of Christmas things back into the dumpster before waving the leaves around. “You know, to actually get everything on the list-”

“Not a chance,” Tsukishima cut him off, cursing the fact that particular thing was on the list in the first place. 

“You _have_ to! At some point!” Kuroo insisted. Tsukishima shifted uncomfortably. “We can go visit that Yamaguchi friend of yours if we need to-”

“I'm not kissing Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima shot down. “If we got everything but one thing on the list, wouldn't you still beat Bokuto?”

“Well, yeah, but,” Kuroo said, pouting. “It'd be totally unfair, to be that close and only have an easy one left.”

Tsukishima frowned at the word 'easy'. He guessed it was an easy one, but...

“I don't think anyone wants their first kiss to be for a stupid scavenger hunt,” Tsukishima mumbled begrudgingly. His voice grew stronger as he continued, “Anyway, whose to say it'll be the only thing left? There are some pretty impossible things on this list.”

Kuroo looked rather nonplussed, and the hope Tsukishima had that Kuroo would just drop the subject and take the bait to stubbornly claim nothing on the list was too hard for him was dwindling fast. He shouldn't have even admitted the kiss thing, should have kept his mouth shut, because how humiliating was that to admit when he was in _college_ -

Blessedly, Kuroo's phone went off.

Kuroo quickly shoved the mistletoe in his pocket and answered it.

“What? Yeah, I said the south side wall,” Kuroo said, looking along the edge of the wall. Tsukishima turned when he heard what sounded like footsteps, and then a man was suddenly jumping up and leaning over the top of the wall, looking down at them with wildly spiked hair and a huge grin. Behind Tsukishima, Kuroo hissed. “Akaashi, you traitor!”

“Hey, hey, heeeey!” The man greeted, much too loudly for after midnight in an apartment complex.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who gave me suggestions for the scavenger hunt list!


End file.
